A PRISON worker who tried to smuggle 10 mobile phones into prison after being harassed by an anonymous caller has been jailed.

Christopher Merritt was stopped on his way into Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, with 10 mobile phones wrapped in cling film found stashed down his trousers.

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said the search of the 23-year-old on January 25 was sparked by an anonymous tip-off.

She told Oxford Crown Court on Thursday[apr28] Merritt had been working at the prison's kitchen for 15 months before he tried to smuggle the phones inside.

The court heard 7.98g of the party drug MDMA was found at his home in Honeysuckle Way, in Bicester.

Ms Olliver said Merritt told police he had been harassed by calls from an anonymous number, and when he answered he was told to pick up the phones and deliver them.

She added: "He was harassed by these calls.

"Finally he answered a call from a withheld number saying take these things into prison and these phone calls will stop.

"This seemed to be accompanied by a general air of menace.

"He met a man in a park near Bicester, received these phones and took them into the prison."

Merritt admitted attempting to convey a List B article into a prison and possessing the Class A drugs, which he said were for his own personal use.

Robert Lindsey, defending, said his client had been "foolish and naive" to try to smuggle the phones into the prison.

He appealed for the court to suspend any sentence of imprisonment on Merritt and added: "There was no skill or sophistication.

"It was a naive and foolish attempt and one that was not likely to succeed."

But Judge Peter Ross told Merritt he had not been "naive or foolish" but had tried to take the phones into the prison with his "eyes wide open" to the consequences.

He added: "Not only did you know what was prohibited and why it was prohibited, but you also knew as a member of the civilian staff the steps you should take if others sought to pursue you to take contraband into the prison."

Judge Ross said smuggling phones into a prison "corroded" the order and discipline of the institution.

He said while on one level prisoners would hire out the handsets to their fellow inmates, causing bullying and debt, mobile phones also allowed prisoners to continue to carry out crimes or intimidate witnesses.

He added: "It enables criminal activity to continue from within the jail.

"It has caused the course of justice to be perverted and interfered with.

"Given some of the people within prison it can potentially undermine national security."

Jailing Merritt for 20 months, Judge Ross said his sentence also had to act as a deterrent to other prison officials not to smuggle contraband into jails.

He added: "It is meant to deter as well as punish and send out a message."